Patriotism

[Elok]

Something I've been thinking about lately: what exactly does it mean to love one's country, and why is that a good thing? Assuming you do think it's a good thing, of course--I'm mainly interested in hearing from those who do.

I can't say that I especially do. I love my family, my friends, my community, even the land nearby. All those I'm in close contact with. I know them, I can love them. But for me to love my country...what is my country, anyway? The government, or the large group of communities ruled by that government? A set of ideals we in theory all believe in but never achieve? A history, a set of symbols? Why should I love any of those things? I can almost see the ideals, but I don't necessarily agree with all of them, and if a foreigner cleaved to the ones I did believe in more closely than an American, which one is my fellow-countryman?

What patriotism means to me is that, if I were to mediate between the competing interests of a person from San Francisco, Columbus, Denver, Anchorage, Portland or Orlando and one from Shanghai, Oslo, Tangiers, Islamabad, Brasilia or Canberra, I should give some sort of preference to the American, even if I don't know either from Adam. Which seems unjust and stupid right on the face of it--little more than primitive tribalism on a grand scale, like sports fandom only dangerous--but what else does it mean?

[Elok]

Now, in the interests of actually keeping this thread afloat, here is something I got by searching for "Patriotic lolcat."



How is this patriotic? Discuss.

[H Tower]

To be patriotic you need to stand in front of your television and chant "USA! USA USA!" during the Olympics. Making fun of France is an acceptable form of patriotism in the U.S. as well.

[Elok]

To be patriotic you need to stand in front of your television and chant "USA! USA USA!" during the Olympics.

I mostly winced while watching those dudes on the steel rings. Is that patriotic?

Making fun of France is an acceptable form of patriotism in the U.S. as well.

But Europe does that too, right?

[Kidlicious]

How would you like the US to become a client state of China?

[loinburger]

If you love/support your country's good qualities then patriotism is a good thing, if you love/support your country's bad qualities then patriotism is a bad thing. In my experience the connotation for patriotism is usually "supporting the good while rejecting the bad" at best or "my country right or wrong" at worst, while the connotation for nationalism is "my country right or wrong" at best or "white power!" at worst.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I have the same thought as Elok. What purpose should it serve for me to "love" someone who lives in San Diego, California rather than someone who lives in, say, Montreal, Canada... when Montreal is closer to Atlanta and San Diego is? Simply because we have the same federal government? I mean, I think our federal government and federal society has done good things and I'm happy for them, but that shouldn't automatically be given my fealty simply for that.

[Ben Kenobi]

Patriotism is about realizing just how blessed you are to live in America. It really is a nice place to live. Unsurprisingly, the ones who benefit the most are the ones who take it for granted.

[Lorizael]

So you can't be patriotic about a country other than America?

[Ben Kenobi]

America's the only one that sees it as a virtue.

[dannubis]

Dumb **** !

[rah]

I have no problem with Patriotism when it's used as a point of pride and the desire to make it a better place for all.
I do have a problem when it's used to belittle or hurt others.
Since it is easy to equate to nationalism I can see how Europeans have a more negative connotation where it's involved.

[Lorizael]

America's the only one that sees it as a virtue.

[Ben Kenobi]

Since it is easy to equate to nationalism I can see how Europeans have a more negative connotation where it's involved.

I don't see why a French man shouldn't be proud to be French, Germans, etc. Losing that would be losing a big part of who you are. I don't understand that attitude whatsoever. I know good friends who are european and they hate that more than anything.

[rah]

Some think that type of thinking helped fuel a few WWs.